Despite the challenges of this odd time, the farm revs back up for the season.
If you’ve driven down Codman Road this week, you’ll have noticed a surefire sign of spring: it’s not daffodils, crocuses, forsythia or magnolia blossoms (though we have been enjoying the sight of all of those around town too!)…but hanging out on Codman North Field, you may have seen some our familiar mobile chicken coops, surrounded by chickens and Andy the guardian dog, thrilled to be back out on open pastures once again. After a long winter ranging in and around our high tunnel on the main farm property, our birds said their goodbyes to their winter home and headed out into the fields last Wednesday evening. This year was a bit different - we didn’t put out our normal call for a large group of volunteers, like the 60+ folks who gathered to bring the chickens home at the end of last year. Instead it was a small group of farm staff and a board member and his family left to catch the 700-800 hens and put them in their mobile coops to be towed down the road and released later that evening. Still, the work got done, and the season continues!
We’ve also brought some of our piglets out to pasture, and boy are they loving it. Our pigs thrive on fresh grass and woody field edges, where they can root, wallow and play to their hearts’ desire. These young piggies are thrilled to be out from the winter barns and back into the field.
With the chickens out of the high tunnel we are now quickly cleaning up the entire area in preparation for spring seedling production and converting the unheated tunnel into our summer growing space for heat loving crops such as tomatoes, peppers, lemongrass and cucumbers. It’s one of our busiest times of the year with many moving parts, but it’s incredibly fun and rewarding.
In the Farm Store, we’re working with many local farms to ensure we have a steady supply of locally raised and produced products. We’re increasing our meat chicken production, and we’ll also be growing plenty of tomatoes, winter squash, eggplant and other fresh favorites. While our focus is on producing the highest quality pasture-raised meat and eggs, we also know the benefit of being a diversified farm which is why we also have a small fruit growing area including a micro-orchard, some soft fruits, and we are also growing a small amount of staple crops including greens, tomatoes, potatoes, onions etc.. Meanwhile, the Farm Store remains stocked with local grains, pasta, syrup, coffee, and all manner of ethically and locally produced dry goods.
Hundreds of baby chicks have arrived and are happily growing in the brooder barn, and we’re looking forward to our new flock of laying hens next week. The cows are still here on the main property, anxiously awaiting the pastures to green up. Pretty soon we’ll shuffle them off to their summer fields, and the farming season will be back in full swing!
Thanks as always for your continued support during this challenging time, and please let us know if you have feedback for us - we’re always ready to serve, whether it’s trying to source a new local product that we don’t carry yet, or keeping you up to date about harvest times and fresh chicken supply.
Stay healthy, safe and strong, and we hope you can share in some of the joys of fresh spring air, baby animals, and tasty local food. Sending our best, from all of the staff here at Codman Community Farms.